Stringed musical instrument



Aug. 6, 1929. N. TURTURRO STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Aug. 1, 1923 Patented Aug. 6, 1929.

UNITED STATES NICOLA TUR/TURBO, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Application filed August 1, 1923.

This invention relates to stringed musical instruments and aims to provide an improved musical instrument which is adapted to replace two ordinary stringed inst-ruments.

Stringedinstruments such as guitars, mandolins, ukuleles and lutes, as heretofore made are provided with heads which are inclined rearwardly from their necks, so that the strings which are tightened by keys or pegs on the head are drawn down against the head-nut at t-he outer end of the neck.

A musical instrument constructed in accordance with the present invention is provided with a body, head and neck and with strings on each side thereof. In such an instrument the head cannot be inclined rearwardly from the finger board on each side of the neck so as to cause the strings on both sides of the instrument to be drawn against the head-nut in the usual way. Special means must be provided, therefore, for causing the strings on at least one side to be drawn against the head-nut. Most desirably, the opposite sides of the body and neck are slightly inclined so that the body and neck taper from the outer end of the body to the outer end of the neck, and the head liesin the median vplane of the neck and body, and for causingv the strings to be drawn against the head-nuts guides are provided 'for enga-ging the outer sides of the strings between the head-nuts and the tuning means on the head. The strings on each side of the body may be of a different type, and the finger boards, or sides of the neck, if provided with frets, may have the frets differently spaced; so that the instrument will replace two ordinary stringed instruments, although its cost is only slightly greater than that of one such instrument.

In order that the invention may'clearly be umlerstood, I will describe in detail the embodiment of the invention which is shown in the accompanying drawing. The instrument shown in the drawing is a combined mandolin and Hawaiian guitar or ukulele.

Fig. 1 is an edge View of the instrument;

Fig. 2 is a face view of the ukulele side of the instrument, looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a face view of the mandolin side of the instrument, looking in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Serial No. 654,996.

Referring to the drawings, the instrument shown has a. hollow resonant body 1() which may be of any suitable construction and shape except that it is flat on each side and is thickest at its outer end 12 and tapers slightly toward its inner end, the inner end being the end from which the neck 13 extends and the outer end being the opposite end. in each side. The neck 13, extending from the innerend of the body, is flat on each side, and tapers in thickness, being thickest where it ljoins the body and thinnest at its head end. The body and neck, therefore, provide two flat surfaces 14 and 15 which lie in planes inclined at a slight angle to each other. The head 20, which extends from the outer end of the neck, is flat and lies in the median plane of the body and neck,

The instrument is provided on one side with ukulele` strings 21. Each string is secured at one of its ends to a cleat 22 fastened on the side 14 of the body, and at its other end to one of a set of pegs 23 which pass through the head and have finger' pieces or keys 24 on the opposite side of the head. The strings 21 pass over the usual bridge 26, formed on the cleat 22, and over frets 27 formed on the finger board 28 on the side 14 of the neck. In order to hold the strings 21 in contact with the head nut 29, a guide 3() is provided. This guide engaged the outer sides of the strings between the pegs and the head nut and draws them in sufficiently to make them firmly engage the head-nut. In the form illustrated, the guide 3() consists of a transverse bar 31 secured to the head 20 byscrews 32 and spaced from the head by a spacing piece 33 whose thickness is greater than the diameter of the strings.

rIhe other side of the instrument is provided With wire mandolin strings 41. Each of the strings is secured at one end to a tail piece 42 at the outer end of the body 10, and at its other end to one of a set of pegs 43 which pass through the head 20 and may be turned by keys 44 on the other side of the head. The strings 41 pass over the customary bridge 46 on the side 15 of the body 10, and over frets 47 on the finger board 48 on the side 15 of the neck. In order to keep the strings 41 in contact with the head-nut 49, guides 50 are provided formed by the heads of screws 51 which are screwed into the head to such a distance that the screw A sound hole 11 is provided sion of each string may be adjusted by a key in the ordinary manner. Both sets of strings may, therefore, be tuned in the usual manner and the instrument may be used either as a mandolin or as a ukulele.

` It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the particular instrument which has been 'shown and described. It is apparent, for example, that the shape and size of the body, vthe length of the neck and the spacing of the linger frets when provided, and the form and arrangement ot the head and'means for tensioning` the strings may all be varied so that various combinations of stringed instruments other than that of a mandolin and a ukulele may be embodied in a double or duplex instrument according to the invention.

Vhat is claimed is:

l, A musical instrument having a body, a bridge on each side of the body, a neck, a. head-nut on each side of the neck, a head extending from the neck, a tuning device on each side of the head, two sets of strings, one passing' over the bridge on each side of the body, and means on the head for drawing each set of strings tight against one of the head-nuts by engagement with the strings between the head-nut and the tuningv device.

2. A musical instrument -as claimed in claim l, in which the opposite sides of the body and neck lie in planes slightly inclined to veach other and most widely separated at the outer end ofthe body.

3. A musical. instrument having a body,

a bridge on cach side of the body, a neck, a head-nut on each side of the neck, a head extending from the neck, two tuning devices on the head, two sets of strings of which one extends from each of the bridges to one of the tuning devices, and a guide positioned between one of the head-nuts and one of the tuning devices and formed to engage the `strings of one setcn the side away from the instrument to draw them in against said head-nut.

4. A musical instrument having a body, a bridge on each side of the body, a neck, a head-nut on each side of the neck, a head lying in the median plane of the-neck, pegs extending from each side of the head, two sets of strings of which one extends from each ot the bridges to one of the sets of pegs, and guides located on opposite `sides of the head, each guide'being positioned between one of the head-nuts and one of the sets of pegs and formed to engage the strings of one set on the side away from the head so as to draw them in against one of the Vheadnuts.

5. A combined mandolin and ukulele having a body flat on each side and thickest at its outer end and tapering slightly toward its inner end, a bridge on each side of the body, a neckwhich tapers in thickness from. the body to its headend, the opposite sides of the body and neck lying in planes slightly inclined to each other, a head-nut on each side of the neck, a head lying in the median plane of the neck, two tuning devices on the head, two sets of stringsone extending from each of the bridges to one of said tuning devices, and guides located on opposite sides of the head, each guide being positioned between one of the head-nuts and one of the tuning devices and formedv to engage the strings on the side away from the head so as to draw them in against the head nut.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

NICOLA TURTURRO. 

